CHINO: Family recalls son as gentle giant

There are no memorials as of Thursday at Chino Hills High School for Nnamdi Okongwu, a 17-year-old Chino Hills High School basketball star who sustained major injuries after a skateboarding accident earlier this week.

More from this story

Trending

He stood tall on the basketball court, but nobody was too small for Nnamdi Okongwu.

The 17-year-old Chino resident flashed a warm smile and possessed an easy-going manner that endeared him to everyone he met, his mother said.

The 6-foot-9 Okongwu, an incoming senior at Chino Hills High School, was hospitalized with major head trauma after he fell off his skateboard Tuesday. He was removed from life support by his parents Friday.

His parents, Mike and Kate Okongwu, struggled to come to grips with the loss of their oldest child as they shared memories of their “gentle giant.”

“He’s such a big boy, but when you meet him, it doesn’t matter if you’re small,” said his mom, sitting in the living room of their home on Saturday. “He really makes you feel at ease. If you see him, he always says, ‘Hello, how are you? Sit down.’”

Nnamdi was a member of the Vista-based Gamepoint basketball team that is playing in a summer tournament this week in Atlanta. He missed the trip to take an online English class, his mother said.

He had the skateboarding accident when he was riding home after taking his final exam at an alternative education center in Chino Hills, she said.

Kate Okongwu said her son was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States with his family when he was 3. He started playing basketball in fifth grade and became a standout post player because of his size and talent, she said.

He received a scholarship offer to play basketball at Loyola Marymount University and dreamed of a career as a physical therapist.

“He said he wanted to help people if they had problems with their legs,” his mom said.

He loved to volunteer during blood drives on the high school campus and enjoyed attending church at Joyful Nations Ministries in Ontario.

Nnamdi was proud of his Nigerian heritage and looked forward to traveling to the country after graduating from high school next year, she said.

His mother described him as “a friend, a confidant, someone who’s always by your side.”

Join the conversation

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to allow Freedom Communications, Inc. the right to republish your name and comment in additional Freedom publications without any notification or payment.